Popkin’s theory of the “reasoning voter.”

Please use this handout to use as a reference while you write your essay. Thesis = CSC ​(see pg. 25-29 and 34-39)

Context Subject Claim Context: frame of reference Subject: the central topic Claim: a point of view or a specific interpretation of the subject. Essentials for Effective Claims 1. Must be objectively supported 2. Should be debatable 3. Should reveal a perceptive point Sample Intro Paragraph: A well-functioning democracy requires legislators to represent the will of their constituents. Despite this fact, political scientists still have only a limited understanding of the influence of a constituency on elected representatives in Congress (Clinton 2006). Moreover, we know even less about the extent of constituency influence at other levels of government in the United States. Previous empirical work has been hindered by the fact that the sample size in national surveys is generally too small to make inferences about the preferences of small geographic units. Although estimating the policy preferences of small geographic units poses a challenge for researchers, the method of Tausanovitch and Warshaw (2013) offers the most promising approach because their survey model allows researchers to pool other, larger datasets, allowing for a much more representative view of policy preferences nation-wide.

● TAXES​ is a formula for building the supporting paragraphs in a thesis-driven essay. When beginning a paragraph, spend time writing a clear ​topic sentence​ that over-arches the paragraph or section as a whole. It should state the one point the paragraph or section will make, a point that helps build the chain of reasoning in support of your thesis statement. Your thesis statement’s burdens of proof, or points necessary to prove your thesis, can often be rephrased to become topic sentences. Follow a topic sentence with strong ​assertion statements​ that express your ideas about the overarching topic sentence. Sometimes your topic sentence can serve double duty as an assertion sentence, especially in shorter essays where it pays to be economical. Remember, however, that just because you assert that something is so doesn’t mean your readers will be convinced. Mere assertion doesn’t go far enough in an argument paper to persuade readers that your thesis statement is valid and compelling. Ground your ideas in supporting ​examples​, and remember to explain carefully how the examples demonstrate the point you want to make. Examples, or evidence that backs up your assertion statements, topic ideas, and ultimately the thesis claim, can take a number of forms, depending on your writing context and purpose. For instance, you may offer a quote from the text you are interpreting, a statistical or factual detail from the research you have done, or a statement from an expert in a relevant field. Analyze your example(s), providing an ​explanation​ of how it/they support your assertions. This is the part of your paragraph that enables you to avoid mere summary. Therefore, your voice should be at its very strongest here; if your explanation is weak or unclear, your reader may have trouble distinguishing your voice from that of your source(s). Take at least 1-3 sentences to flesh out your explanation. Finally, be sure to close the paragraph or cluster of paragraphs on a topic with a careful and clear clarification of its ​significance​ to the paper’s thesis statement. This is an important, and often forgotten, part of TAXES. It can be as short as a single sentence, but without it, the paragraph hangs in limbo. Tell the readers as clearly as you can how the point you have just made furthers the argument of your paper. Often, you can restate the burden of proof that this paragraph or group of paragraphs makes.